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Spain stares into Catalan ‘abyss’

Right-wing Spanish nationalists burn a Catalan flag. Tensions in the country have reached boiling point after the disputed independence referendum in Catalonia on October 1 | Jose Jordan/AFP via Getty Images

Right-wing Spanish nationalists burn a Catalan flag. Tensions in the country have reached boiling point after the disputed independence referendum in Catalonia on October 1 | Jose Jordan/AFP via Getty Images

MADRID — The Catalan parliament on Tuesday in one way or another will move the northeastern region a step closer toward independence from Spain. And in response Madrid is all but certain to throw the heaviest constitutional book at the separatists.

That much seems clear. In every other respect, Spain is racing toward uncharted ground.

At Tuesday’s session of the assembly in Barcelona, Catalan regional President Carles Puigdemont is due to appear in the late afternoon to give a formal statement — according to all available signs — that endorses the results of this month’s chaotic referendum in favor of independence and triggers secession plans.

The question is whether Puigdemont will opt for a hard or soft approach to secession. Over the past few days, separatist organizations have expressed different views, ranging from a straight breakup to a symbolic declaration to a suspended secession.

Whichever path to secession the Catalan leader takes, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is expected to react to any declaration from Barcelona with one of his own: To invoke Article 155 of the constitution, which allows “all measures necessary to compel” a region to meet its obligations to the central government.

Rajoy’s latitude

Although that could take a little while, the upshot will be to worsen an already serious political and constitutional crisis in one of Europe’s democratic success stories of the past 40 years.

Officials in Madrid claim broad legal latitude to respond to what they consider the Catalan provocation. Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría said in a radio interview on Monday that Article 155, once authorized by the Spanish Senate (the upper chamber of parliament), can be interpreted liberally to protect the territorial integrity of the country.

“We need to apply effective measures that harm as little as possible the ensemble of Catalans,” she said.

“We’re facing a situation of total rupture” — Xavier Domenèch, the leader of the far-left Podemos alliance in Catalonia

Article 155 has never been used and is widely seen as the “nuclear option” to bring a rebel administration to heel.

A former senior official from Rajoy’s Popular Party who’s been advising the government on the issue said Article 155 would most likely be used to replace the entire Catalan Cabinet, take over its powers and dissolve the regional parliament before calling fresh elections a few months down the line.

An official in the leadership of the main opposition Socialists who’s been briefed on Madrid’s plans said the one way to avoid this outcome would be for Puigdemont to make a U-turn and pledge allegiance to the law — which seems highly unlikely.

Pedro Sánchez, the leader of the opposition Socialists, in a statement on Monday said his party will back the state against any unilateral attempt to break up the country.

“We’re facing a situation of total rupture,” Xavier Domenèch, the leader of the far-left Podemos alliance in Catalonia, told journalists last week. Domenèch, who backs a binding referendum on independence, not unilateral secession, described the situation as the “abyss.”

Well-organized opposition

It remains to be seen how the central government will enforce its decisions.

In the October 1 referendum, the Catalan government and pro-independence groups carried off the vote despite dire warnings from Madrid, mobilizing tens of thousands of people to defend polling stations from the police, who were ordered to seize ballot boxes.

“It’s a confrontation of a part of the structure of the state against another part of that structure,” Hernández said, arguing that the central government has basically disappeared from Catalonia because of the country’s decentralized system. “The only way to take control of Catalonia is to take control of the administration,” he said, adding that could also bring about “the deployment of the army to assure peace in the streets.”

The Catalan National Assembly, a separatist civil group which has tens of thousands of rank-and-file members, has already told its supporters to take to the streets around the regional chamber on Tuesday to back the independence declaration. A regional lawmaker for the pro-independence radical-left CUP party told Nació Digital last week that everyone should be thinking now about “effective control of the territory,” rather than the specific wording of the declaration.

As well as Article 155 of the constitution, other measures available to the Spanish authorities include calling a state of emergency or applying a national security law, which can lead to the army being deployed. The role of the Catalan regional police, the mossos, will be particularly important — they largely refused to act during the October 1 vote in what was described by one government official as an act of “disloyalty.”

Some of Catalonia’s biggest companies, including two of the country’s four biggest banks, have moved their legal headquarters out of the region after unsuccessful attempts at lobbying Puigdemont to back down from his plans to declare unilateral independence.

The conflict risks further dividing Catalan society and even the rest of Spain.

In recent days, people have taken to the streets across the country to demonstrate — either in favor of unity or in favor of a negotiated solution to the crisis. On Sunday, hundreds of thousands of Catalans rallied in Barcelona in defense of a united country, the biggest show of force to date by unionist forces in Catalonia.

“Pro-independence [politicians] have gone too far. The state needs to act with all the strength that the constitution allows” — Josep Piqué, former minister for the Popular Party

Few observers envisage a last-minute solution to avoid a confrontation this week.

An official close to Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras said Rajoy’s refusal to negotiate with Barcelona leaves the Catalan government with few options except to push ahead with a declaration of independence. “They’re telling us ‘stop that, stop that, because you’re going to hurt yourself,’ but if we stop it we’re going to get a beating anyway,” he said.

Josep Piqué, a former minister for the Popular Party who is from Barcelona province, said the country needs to figure out “how to politically manage that an important part of Catalans, although not the majority, has expressed its preference for independence.”

But a solution can’t come until order is restored in Catalonia, he said. “Pro-independence [politicians] have gone too far. The state needs to act with all the strength that the constitution allows.”

Related stories on these topics:

Heinz Wolff

I’m not sure how this crisis will end. I always defended a democratic negotiated solution to allow Catalan people to give their opinion. It’s the only chance to demoratically solve the situation.

But at this point it doesn’t matter much. The Spanish Government decided to choose repression and hate to solve a political issue. I think it’s a huge mistake that not only will not solve the issue but is creating new ones (for instance the huge increase of the Spanish far right groups and hence street violence and racism).

The conclusion is that the Spanish government may have stopped this independence try, but in doing it they have increased the separatism movements, promoted street violence, increased the far right movements, hurt economic stability, etc. Dire times are coming to Spain. And let’s not forget that the country is thinely linked to the EU, which will too have to face many new issues.

Last but not least, I would just like to remind everyone that this crisis could have been solved many years before by simply respecting the Catalan Statute. The former Catalan Govs have tried more than 17 dialoged proposals to end this crisis, but the Spanish Gov intransigence jeopardized any chance of peaceful agreed ending.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 5:23 AM CET

kgw

First, the photo, they are Valencians burning a Catalan Independentist flag. Because 9/10 is Valencia Day and some idiots from Catalonia come to Valencia saying «You will be joining us». Well, Valencians do have another idea.
I know it is Politico. But at least try to check up your data.
As for Heinz Wolff, I suposse that the million Catalans who demostrate for a united Spain are not Catalans, then.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 6:05 AM CET

wow

If losing 16% of EU GDP and 65 million people wasn’t enough…

EU27 is losing another quarter of a trillion GDP and a further 7 million people citizen’s…

Well that’s just careless….

Posted on 10/10/17 | 6:11 AM CET

Catalina Ferrer

Heinz Wolff, proposals must openly be made in the Parliament, not in secretive bilateral talks. Secretive tit-for-tat in a restaurant private room is not a democratic solution. Neither is sending open letters to the Spanish government: the Spanish government is the executive branch, not the legislative.
So far Mr Puigdemont, the Catalan president, has refused to present any plan to the Congress.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 8:17 AM CET

Heinz Wolff

@Catalina Ferrer in democracy each power has a responsibility, the Spanish Congress and the Catalan Parliament are the legislative power and must work on the law making as well as on controlling the other powers.

The Spanish and Catalan Governments are the executive powers, the ones that manage and represent their people. That’s why in any country the exterior representation is part of the executive, the ministry of foreign affairs.

Summary: In a democracy are the Govs that talk, not the parliaments. It would make no sense that Rajoy went to debate in the Catalan parliament, nor that Puigdemont went to the Spanish congress.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 8:44 AM CET

Katrin3

@ Wow

58% of the Catalan people did not vote for independence, which is a significant majority of the region’s population.

The vote itself was unconstitutional (unlike the Scottish referendum), and no election observers would ever approve of the way the vote was conducted. This is due to both government interference through removing ballot boxes, and violence toward voters, as well as the organisation of the vote itself, where all those controlling the process came from pro-indepence partes. Hardly an unbiased, free or fair electoral process.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 9:03 AM CET

wow

@Katrina3

Didn’t say it was a legal vote?

They’re ALL corrupt and in the wrong. Spanish, Catalan and EU.

Don’t pigeon-hole me with black/white assumptions, I can make up my own mind by myself thanks.

The Catalans are very likely to leave Spain and have to leave the EU now aren’t they due to Spanish/EU behaviours. Am I wrong? No, I don’t think so.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 9:10 AM CET

Chris

@wow, sorry mate however what you “think” is totally irrelevant as from your postings above you show your lack of grasp on reality

Posted on 10/10/17 | 9:27 AM CET

wow

@Chris

Sure.. please be specific then?

What is not real in what I have said?

Anyone can leave an empty comment like yours…..

Posted on 10/10/17 | 9:32 AM CET

wow

If Spain was a member of the commonwealth of nations they would have been suspended by now by a vote (each country has an entirely equal vote regardless of size)

‘Four countries have been suspended from the Commonwealth since the inception of the device in 1995: Fiji, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe. Fiji and Pakistan have each been suspended twice, and Zimbabwe has withdrawn permanently from the Commonwealth, whilst Nigeria has rehabilitated entirely.’
List of suspensions
Member Suspension began Suspension ended
Nigeria 11 November 1995 29 May 1999
Pakistan (first time) 18 October 1999 22 May 2004
Fiji (first time) 6 June 2000 20 December 2001
Zimbabwe 19 March 2002 7 December 2003
Fiji (second time) 8 December 2006 26 September 2014
Pakistan (second time) 22 November 2007 22 May 2008

Posted on 10/10/17 | 10:17 AM CET

Boyan Taksirov

This Catalonia issue is a total spanish policy failure.
The spanish government could prevent such thing from happening, just by leading a coordinated policy with EU, because the latter doesn’t want a domino effect spreaded in some member states.

Rajoi could just tell the catalonians – You want referendum – OK. But bear in mind what independence means:

1. Out of the EU.
2.Long and difficult negotiations for EU trade agreement, with constant threat of spanish veto.
2.Out of NATO.
3.No right to work outside Catalonia.
4.Maybe visas.Even to go to Madrid.
5.Significant decline of living standards and income.
…and so on….

Instead, if you receive to stay, you get a substantial tax refund.

And while telling that, behind Rajoi standing firm would be Merkel, Schulz, Macron and the whole EU.

I guess in that case catalonians wouldn’t trade what they have for this childish independance idea.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 11:31 AM CET

wow

@Boyan Taksirov

Gosh how does Switzerland cope?

Well funnily enough it does far far better than the countries in the EU27……

Ain’t that funny?

Posted on 10/10/17 | 11:55 AM CET

Dan

@Heinz Wolff @Boyan Taksirov

I agree. It has been Political ineptitude of the highest level. They have created a monster that probably would have destroyed itself given a respectful and engaging approach. It will take real political skill now to diffuse the polarisation that has occurred and that commodity has been sorely lacking up to this point. Jack boots, rubber bullets and riot shields just won’t do the job long term.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 12:01 PM CET

Boyan Taksirov

@wow

The EU is bigger and more diverse than Switzerland. But this “swiss” vision for the EU could be achieved only through further integration.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 12:06 PM CET

vicky

According to Europe, this is an “internal issue” of Spain. I can agree with that, however, what happens when a member state is incapable of solving their internal issues? The Spanish government has not addressed the issue of Catalonia for years and now it has got out of hand (let’s also not forget that they have been fuelling this conflict for electoral benefits).
Why should the EU suffer the consequences of the lack of political capability from the Spanish government? What will happen when this crisis is starting to affect the European economy? Will it still be only an internal issue?

Posted on 10/10/17 | 12:10 PM CET

wow

@Boyan Taksirov

You were talking about Catalan not the EU.

Catalan and Switzerland.

Do you have a problem following your own argument.

Switzerland does fine not in the EU.

Switzerland 8.7 million
Catalan: 7.1 million people

Your scaremongering just doesn’t work. There are real life example of countries doing FAR better than the EU27 put together. (per capita income, UN HDI, low corruption, world class universities, Switzerland’s financial centre is bigger than any in the EU27 combined etc etc…)

You are wrong. Admit it.

EU27 is not a s mighty in your head as you think it is. It seems to stop global advancement of great individual countries (poor France) for the benefit of ‘the others’.

Everyone can be a mediocre as each other in the EU27!!! WOOP! (poor Ireland soon to have it’s head chopped off for being too successful)

Posted on 10/10/17 | 12:39 PM CET

William

@Boyan Taksirov

I agree with your sentiment, but can it never be expressed as a positive, why it is beneficial to stay integrated with Spain rather than the incendiary doom and gloom approach that works so poorly.

It sounds like a threat the way you frame it, and indeed some of the items are, and will only inflame the situation.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 12:41 PM CET

Chris

@wow, your comments that lack reality listed below
1) “If losing 16% of EU GDP and 65 million people wasn’t enough…” I assume here you imply the UK leaving the EU
to start with, at a push it is 15% of EU GDP, without taking into account that the value of pound against the dollar has dropped by more than 10% so the actual “loss” (not a loss really, as EU living standards and wages dont drop, the only people that are worse off are the 65M unfortunate UK citizens, but lets play along) in less that 13%. By 2019 a large amount of the UK GDP will have been transfered to the EU as large financial instututions and corporations shift their bases across the channel.

2) They’re ALL corrupt and in the wrong. Spanish, Catalan and EU
again here you display your inability to grasp reality, “ALL … in the wrong” what has the EU anything to do with it? “ALL corrupt” it is illogical to say 510M are all corrupt. BTW if it happens that you live in any of the current EU member states, then you are one of them.

3) The Catalans are very likely to leave Spain and have to leave the EU now aren’t they due to Spanish/EU behaviours. Am I wrong?
what does EU behaviour has anything to do with the fantasy of some extreme left lunatics and some hard core right wing fanatics that are peddling nationalistic lies to unsuspecting populous (in order to further their own lunatic interests) So, yes you are wrong and thus we are back to my original comment that what you think is irrelevant!

Posted on 10/10/17 | 12:51 PM CET

wow

@Chris

Hi there the only fact is the one you agree with 16% of GDP is gone exchange rate LOL. It is in US dollars for everyone and ONLY in US dollars… not that even matters…it is a silly distraction as UK’s GDP has grown not gone down…!! hello!!

The other two are OPINIONS.

2) Yes I think the LEADERS of Spain/Catalan and the EU are corrupt and have ALL handled it badly. Not 435 million people in the EU27. Stop being a child. It is an opinion and I am entitled to it.

3) Yes the actions of the Spanish violence and the EU saying it was ‘proportionate’ when Amnesty and the UN said it was NOT proportionate will lead to Catalan definately leaving one way or another. This is an OPINION. And I am entitled to it!

4) extra… yes if Catalan leaves a further 7 million people and a quarter of a trillion GDP will be lost fro the EU27. This is on top of the upcoming 16% GDP and 65 million people the Eu has already lost. Not sure how you can argue with it. It is just statistically TRUE!

Cheerio Now.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 1:00 PM CET

wow

@chris

* nearer 20% of lost GDP I was being generous!!!

EU28 = 16 trillion USA DOLLARS

UK = 3 trillion USA DOLLARS.

3 x 5 =15

5 = 20%

(approx figures, look them up)

Posted on 10/10/17 | 1:04 PM CET

Chris

@wow,
Dreaming up numbers to prove your hallucinations is not reality, you are entitled to your opinions however they do remain irelevant as there is nothing logical in them. FACTS: a) UK is still part of the EU, b) the UK population is today over 10% worse off than it was in 2016.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 1:19 PM CET

wow

@Chris

Again childish.

Please give figures and reputable source in US DOLLARS if you think figures are incorrect.

Otherwise any 5 year old can say. I don’t like those figures so I’ll ignore them …. and your mum smells tooo by the way…..

grow up…

Posted on 10/10/17 | 1:27 PM CET

mk2

There is a rather easy way to explain to all Catalans why leaving Spain is a really bad idea…much more effective than complex economic arguments that low information voters dismiss (see: Brexit vote) and nationalists exploit: Football.

Barcelona will be kicked out of La Liga and will play in a new “National League” the size of Switzerland. Against…??
Do you think Messi and Dembele and Suarez will play in a third rate league? Think again.
Pique will win MVP until he turns 45!

Sounds silly, but would be a very effective way to show how stupid and shortsighted the independence movement is: You cannot have your cake and eat it, too. Tories learn that in these weeks…catalans better be smarter.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 1:51 PM CET

wow

@mk2

You too I see…..

Posted on 10/10/17 | 1:58 PM CET

Alex.

@Chris

Not sure what point you are trying to make but it is a good point you make.

The UK is still part of the EU and the UK population is today over 10% worse off than it was in 2016.

Ain’t working is it, I agree.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 1:58 PM CET

wow

@mk2 @chris

If you can’t dispute the facts with your own…

try and slander the commenter…

GROW UP! It’s a strategy for 5 year olds…. we’re not in the playground…

Posted on 10/10/17 | 1:59 PM CET

wow

@chris

It’s 20% if UK was 50% worse off..

because the EU28 is worse off….because UK is part of EU28 GDP…

Do you see?

Not too smart eh?

EU28 is a compound figure, any current UK loss is an EU loss. So percentage amd loss stays the same…

It’s still losing 20% of it’s entire GDP, you cannot get away from it. IT IS REALITY.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 2:04 PM CET

wow

@chris

I’ll try another way.

EU28’s GDP has ALREADY gone down if, as you say (false) the UK’s has gone down.

(False as UK GDP has increased, we are growing, not in recession at all as you well know or maybe you don’t understand what you are saying)

That’s enough of me trying to explain your own nonsense to you.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 2:07 PM CET

Reggie Grünebaum

@Chris
What we all think is mostly irrelevant, what makes it necessary to point out one in particular?

Posted on 10/10/17 | 2:08 PM CET

Boyan Taksirov

@William

The approach I mentioned is not a threat. It just points that everything has its own price.
Similar to Brexit issue. You can’t have only the good things from the EU, while putting on risk its integrity, exposing it to the possible domino effect, just because some politicians see a populist opportunity. This must not be tolerated.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 2:15 PM CET

Chris

What makes wow’s opinion particular irrelevant is his rhetoric question “am i wrong; I didn’t think so” what he thinks is irrelevant because his conclusions are based on prejudiced false basis. Now, about UK being 15% of EU total is based in dollar value is based on publicly available data (Wikipedia). About UK beings currently 10% worse off than it worse in 2016 is a fact based on the devaluation of the GBP.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 2:30 PM CET

joan borrell

As an ordinary Catalan with 3 kids, I would love that our Paladi de la Justicia Puigdemont could explain to us his plans to survive as a nation, out of Spain and the EU when ALL our production goes to… Spain and the EU.
The fact that we dont have our own legal currency, let alone a Banco Central does not help too much.
Not to mention that our Sistema de Transportes is basically Spanish (Renfe and Aena).
The worst part is the one in charge to solve this mess is… Puigdemont.
Not the best scenario

Posted on 10/10/17 | 3:22 PM CET

Boyan Taksirov

@wow

About Switzerland – sorry, I didn’t understand your point.
So, according you, Catalonia could be the new Switzerland on the Pyrenees?
Definitely.
But in theory.
In theory every european country could become like Switzerland.
I wish for your country to become the Switzerland on the see…

Nothing stops you now! 🙂

Posted on 10/10/17 | 3:36 PM CET

Boyan Taksirov

*”see” to be read “sea”

Posted on 10/10/17 | 3:37 PM CET

Heinz Wolff

@joan borrell

You shouldn’t worry much if there’s actuak independence, only a 35% of Catalan imports go to Spain. Countries can choose whatever currency they want, for instance the euro or the US dollar. Transport hubs are physically in Catalonia, or you expect the Spanish gov to “take” airports, railways and ports away?

In any case many Economy Nobel awardees like Joseph Stiglitz predict that an independent Catalonia will do better than inside Spain. Google Stiglitz Catalonia.

If I were you I’d worry more about the Spanish violent repression that is incoming.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 3:42 PM CET

I want a pony

@Heinz Wolff
Thank God we catalans have you, Mr Wolff, to tell us what we should worry about…
Many Economy Nobel awardees? Name just one, apart from Stiglitz (who, by the way, didn’t say that an independent Catalonia would be better off).
You don’t have the slightest clue what you talking about, do you?
I can see you are enthusiastic about Catalonia independence, over-excited even, judging by the number of posts… I wonder why.
Anyhow, Spain is one of the very few countries in Europe without any far-right or anti-inmigration political parties with representation. Sure, there are far-right organisations, but you won’t find them at parlament or the town hall, you’ll find them in a corner at the football stadium.
So, I’m not really sure where your constant references to the rise of the far right in Spain come from.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 5:21 PM CET

tony

Boyan

Switzerland is perhaps not as integrated into Europe as you believe.

Not an hour ago I crossed the swiss French border and there were border guards on duty.

However, the rest of your points are fair as catalonia has none of the state infrastructure to go it alone at present.

Given time they could thrive. The Spanish govt were very heavy handed. We shall see in the next hour of Catalonia will draw back

Posted on 10/10/17 | 6:41 PM CET

joan borrell

@Heinz Wolff Clearly and with all due respect, you dont understand un carajo about Cataluña and its dependence with Spain and the EU. We have, thanks to Mas and Puigdemont the biggest Deuda Publica between the Comunidades Autonomas. The WHOLE infrastracture related with the FFCC belongs to Renfe. Who is going to invest in a new AVE here? You? The sad reality is that Cataluña is totally unviable without Spain and without the EU. And tht Puigdemont as a Presidente would be the laughing stock of the Western World. Next try to get informed before posting pelotudeces

Posted on 10/10/17 | 7:02 PM CET

Europeann

This conflict has been going on since at least the early 1992s. As Director of an elite business school in the area, I noticed the envy that Madrid (and all business school startups there) showed towards Catalunya, the technological, business and cultural hub in Spain. It is always the same issue: sucessful regions want to enjoy their own laurels and not be pulled into a pot. This is, of course, the situation with German Bavaria, and with Scotland. I am not for separatism in any way, but central governments have to be more attuned to regions and their priorities before situations escalate. Catalunyans never considered themselves Spanish, just like Galicians and Basques did not. All three regions speak a different language, literally.
The spanish government is still very much dominated by the old Franco elite; that means also by the all-powerful catholic church which supports it. Spanish democracy is very, very superficial when it comes to holding power by the old, old, encrusted elites, the monarchy and their huge clan included. The Spaniards still refer to the sit of its government, Zarzuella, as “la casa,“ the home. I don´t think any Spanish regent would dare disrupt this medieval system. There was never a true separation of church and state in Spain. The same is true for Portugal, incidentally. Modernization is not welcome, but compliance with centuries´ old norms. Conservatism is their motto, and the central government will fight for it tooth and nail.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 7:20 PM CET

Joan Borrell

@Europeann
“Catalunyans never considered themselves Spanish, just like Galicians and Basques did not. All three regions speak a different language, literally”
Esteeee….. No. You are totally wrong. The Separatistas never considered themselves Spanish, not the Catalanes. Do not confuse the terms. Catalanes (gentilicio). Separatas (posición política) Capisce?
And ALL the Comunidades Autónomas have their own language, not only el País Vasco and Galicia, but also Asturias, Valencia, Baleares and the list goes on.
In ALL the cases those languages are recognised as Lenguas Oficiales along with Castellano.
Next try to opine about something you know or understand better, ie: nothing.

Posted on 10/10/17 | 11:25 PM CET

mexero

This photo is about nationalist fascist Spaniards against Valencians (another region of Spain) that are celebrating their regional day.
But in Spain of “non-nationalism”, you con only can feel as Spaniard, any other feeling is knocked out.
The problem are the Spaniards not the others … it’s always on same scenarios.

Posted on 10/11/17 | 12:52 AM CET

IsNoSmart

Spain stares into Catalan ‘abyss’
This must interpreted in the continental context as follows:
“EU is starring an abyss pale faced”
The system, which declared nation state passée, is witnessing its building blocks crumbling down to pieces long before the dream house project became finalized.

Posted on 10/11/17 | 3:34 AM CET

España Nos Roba

With all due respect to everyone who has spent copious amounts of time trying to defend the nationalist agenda, at the end there is one point that can not be refuted by anyone: you are attempting to take for yourself something that belongs to each and every Spaniard. Why is Las Ramblas or the Monserrat any more yours than mine? Only because as of today you happen to live in one particular part of Spain? That does not make it yours! Therefore, my friends, the attempt of secession is nothing short of stealing. There is no sugarcoating that will change that fact, regardless of how much you are trying to confuse the press and the local and international public. Your only way forward is to refrain from any further attempts of stealing what is not yours and start promoting a legal change of the constitution so that we can all come to a democratic agreement on how to live together of split apart.

Posted on 10/11/17 | 3:47 AM CET

HP

Madrid should accept to negotiate provided the Catalan government commits to respect the law and to conduct talks directly, i.e. without any outside mediation. It makes no sense to negotiate with people who have no respect for rules and agreements and accepting foreign mediation would imply a de facto acceptance of the secession of Catalonia. Rajoy’s clumsiness should not obscure that first principles are at stake here – rule of law and democracy – and that the Generalitat has gravely offended against them.